Got up at 7. All clouds. Checked again at 8. Somewhat better, so left the valley at around 9. Cloud cover still hovered at 1.100 m but slowly burned off and from 12 no clouds left :)
Avalanche track up. I left the trail at approx. 1.400 m and headed for the ridge between Lyell and Avalanche and then followed it the summit of Lyell. Easy terrain, boulders and simple scrambling. Afterwards followed the ridge on the east side from Lyell all the way to Avalanche. Only last part was a little steep but still easy.Great, great views and three keas on the summit. Scott's track down. 7 hours total.

Up the Avalanche Pk track (straight up the side of the hill; a rather joyless ascent) and down by Scott's track (much nicer, as it follows a minor shoulder down. Much more open, better views). Spent some time on the ridges up top: wandered over towards Lyell and wish, in retrospect, that I'd known about the Avy-Lyell-Bealey traverse... Also went along the ridge towards Rolleston: handsome views into the Crow Glacier basin. A pair of quite insistent kea on the summit of Avy.

The clouds looked like there were lifting so I started up hoping to do an avalanche peak track-crow valley-Waimakariri Valley-Mt Philistine-Otira Valley 3 day loop. The clouds never lifted above maybe 200m below the summit and so I missed the views and couldn't find the route to crow valley so I hiked down Scott's track and slept at Arthurs Pass. I started the loop again from the Waimak valley and had fine weather the next two days :)

Did a solo attempt but had to turn around at the summit ridge just ~40 m short of the summit due to very high and gusty winds. Came back two years later, just to be welcomed by low clouds, heavy rain and high winds down in the village so I didn´t even make a second attempt.

Same peak as yesterday, but along different routes. This time I was on the first day of a five day hike. I ascended Mount Bealey from Arthur's Pass along the Bealey track, then scrambled north to Mt Lyell, Avalanche Peak and beyond, ending the day at Crow hut. By then, my bananas were a bit mushy, so I ate all of them.

In fact, I hadn't planned this, but as I got to Arthur's Pass a few days before, I went into the local DOC office, got to talking to one of the rangers and ended up getting invited to go along on this route with him and a few of his friends! That sounded like an excellent idea to me, so I happily accepted.

I would continue deeper into the wilderness by myself the next day, the others would hike back out from Crow hut. They were great company!

Up Avalanche Peak Track, down Scott's track. It was a fine day, partly cloudy, little wind.
As I was enjoying the views from the summit, a couple of other hikers came up, and they had carried a stove - and offered me something hot too, which I gladly accepted.

so lucky with this hike, got perfect weather. started early to avoid the heat, the day before was warm. i got to the summit shortly after 9 and it was getting warm then.
i went up the avalanche peak track and down the scott track, a very good hike. i keep a good pace so done it well below the estimated 6-8 hrs.

we stayed in the YHA, the guys there are very nice. they let my partner hang there until i returned, free of charge. top guys and a nice place.

Up in about 2 hours on Scotts Track. Beautiful weather and friendly kea at top. Went on to do 3 more in the area this day. Met a guy from Wellington at the summit who'd been hiking this for 50+ years. Fun day in perfect weather.

Up Scott's track to summit and then continued along ridge to Lyell Peak. Would like to go all way to Bealy but not enough time. Descended directly from Lyell and met up with Avalanche Creek track at bushline.

Kim and I did this one in spite of the fact she is 5 months pregnant. A little more strenuous than she was hoping for, but she made it fine. We went up Scotts Track, down Avalanche Peak Track. Scotts Track was muddier than hell; I preferred the other. But given the amount of scrambling on Avalanche Peak Track, I would have taken my wife down Scotts Track if done again. Lots of jarring.

The clouds hung over the summit until we were safely off the peak, at which point they lifted completely! Oh well. Had a nice lunch, espresso, and ice cream after the climb.

For Americans, this would be considered a "scramble". Some class 3 stuff in spots, but it's the exposure near the top that would give most people pause. With wind and/or snow, it could be pretty hairy!

Finally! I'd visited Arthur's Pass six times, for a total of twelve days over four trips to New Zealand waiting for it to stop pouring rain so I could do this hike. I wasn't dissappointed - it was beautiful! Spent some quality time with the keas on the summit.